Tetris pillows

I've bought a few products from Etsy, the hip online crafts bazaar. But the main reason I visit the site is to catch a glimpse of what's bubbling just beneath the surface of mainstream culture.

Trashion (fashion assembled from discarded clothing) is hot, right now:

"The Trashion philosophy encompasses environmentalism and innovation, and respects the human creative and healing potential," according to the Etsy Trashion Street Team.

Also upcycling -- recycling something discarded by transforming it into something cool. For example:

Recycling, by the way, is no longer necessarily a positive term. It depends on whether you're upcycling or "downcycling" -- i.e., recycling a material (like plastics) into a material of lesser quality (lower-grade plastics).

Good old-fashioned crafting, of course, is still the mainstay of Etsy. Check out these Tetris-inspired pillows, for example:

This reminds me. I had a great time at the Bay Area Maker Faire last year. Tickets are on sale now for this year's Maker Faire, May 3-4. I want to go again.